Education

Free DMV Permit Practice TestsIn partnership with Driving-Tests.org, WPL is proud to offer FREE Illinois Driver Permit practice tests. The tests cover both car and motorcycle, and the site contains the Driver Handbook for each.

Find the right collegeUse the College MatchMaker from collegeboard.com to find the college or university that meets your exact specifications, from size to degree programs to student life.

First Generation StudentUseful advice for first generation college students. Information includes how to pay for college, where to apply, or what you need to do right now to start furthering your education. Contributors to the site include Education Week, US News and College Board.

Open Education DatabaseAn Open Education Database (OEDb) to help ambitious or prospective students find the most convenient, valuable, and relevant education programs to fulfill their academic and career objectives.

Education Grants Move beyond the FAFSA to find different ways to fund your or your child’s college education. This blog provides a good introduction to the different types of grants, loans and scholarships available to students at all stages of life. Check out the section devoted to student single mothers here.

INeedAPencil.org Is your son or daughter starting to think about college? Help them ace their SATs and increase their chances of attending the school of their choice by preparing with INeedAPencil.com. This high-quality SAT prep is offered for free thanks to the support of organizations like Sparkseed and the C5 Youth Foundation.

Khan Academy The Khan Academy is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing the best online learning tools available. Students can watch short lessons on a wide range of topics, then take assessments to evaluate knowledge gained. Lessons for grades K-12.

FAFSAYou’ve found the perfect college – great! Now apply for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA. This website helps you gather all the information you need, then walks you step by step through the application process.

College of Lake CountyThe College of Lake County, in Grayslake, Illinois, is Lake County’s community college. CLC offers credit programs for students looking to obtain an associate’s degree or transfer to a four-year university. Adults can also enroll in GED or basic education classes.

University CenterUniversity Center of Lake County brings 18 Illinois colleges and universities to Lake County. Students can earn their bachelor’s or master’s degree without enduring the long commute to Chicago or beyond.

Education-Portal.comEducation Portal has free online courses designed to help students prepare for the CLEP exam, which leads to college credit at over two-thirds of American colleges. Students can use CLEP exams to test out of general education requirements and cut up to two years off the length of a degree program.

Education IndexThe Education Index at PhDs.org is the Internet’s premier source of updated data about undergraduate and graduate programs in the United States. They use publicly available numbers from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and present them in a simple and easy-to-digest way, making it easy for you to pick the best college.